Sailors girls drop two in tourney

Steamboat Springs — It’s a different tournament but the same struggles for the Steamboat Springs girls basketball team.

After going winless during last weekend’s Steamboat Shoot-Out, the young squad (0-7) continues to search for its first victory of the year.

In Thursday’s opening round of The Great Western Flaming Gorge Classic in Wyoming, Steamboat fell to Jackson Hole, Wyo., 64-24.

Sailors head coach John Ameen said the Sailors played well in the first four minutes of the game before two Steamboat missed free throws propelled the deep and experienced Jackson Hole team.

“They just full-court pressed, and we didn’t handle it very well,” Ameen said. “Turnovers from that press is what really killed us.”

Emily Stockdale and Lizzie Stoll led the Sailors with four points apiece. Shannon King added three.

Recommended Stories For You

In Friday’s game against Star Valley, Wyo., the Sailors played better, but pressure defense again derailed Steamboat. The Sailors lost, 55-28.

“It was the same kind of thing,” Ameen said. “But this time it was their half-court pressure.”

Ameen said the outcome was determined during two four-minute stretches. Star Valley outscored Steamboat 22-2 in the first four minutes of the first and third quarters.

Ameen said scoring runs are a part of the game, but the Sailors have to do a better job of limiting their opponent’s runs.

“One or two runs, over the course of a whole game, have killed us this year,” Ameen said. “Runs might happen of 6-0 or 8-0, but our runs are 12-0 or 12-2. Those are just killers.”

Stockdale again led the Sailors in scoring with nine points. Stoll added eight, and King had four.

The Sailors wrap up the tournament today at 12:15 p.m. against Evanston, Wyo. It will be the last game for the Sailors before they head into winter break, and Ameen said he hopes the team can end on a positive note.

Evanston uses a half-court trap, and Ameen said it will be a good gauge to see if the Sailors have improved.

“That’s what I want. I want to wrap the first out-of-conference games on more of positive,” Ameen said. “Handling presses and handling pressure is really our struggle now. Hopefully we can handle the pressure and handle the defensive intensity.”